Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts

My edition: Kindle

Pages: 276

Series: The Dark Duet #1

Rating: 3

Review: ***Warning: This is not a book for the faint-heart.***

I was highly debating on if I wanted to read this book. The other day saw a review on goodreads by one of the people I follow and she helped my decision to just take the huge step and read. This was sort of like ripping a band-aid off. I just dove in. Another warning there are a few spoilers.

“People often believe they were safer in the light, thinking monsters only came out at night” – Caleb

So we start off the book with Caleb our hero (or antihero??) stalking a high school girl. Yeah I’ll go with antihero. He teaches pleasure slaves well trains them. Caleb is involved with slave trade. Told you it wasn’t meant for the faint-heart.

The first chapter we go to our heroine P.O.V. Which the author does what I have as a slight pet peeve, switching the P.O.V. from third person to first person. (Really don’t like that but I can deal with it if the book is good enough.)

Caleb has kidnapped Livvie and is holding her in a bedroom with no light. She can’t escape from him. He wants her to be a tool in his plan of revenge against Vladek Rostrovich. When he finally has the chance he will kill Vladek. There is a man named Rafiq who is helping Caleb. He found him and taught him everything he knows. Rafiq also has a score to settle with Vladek.

Luckily when our heroine finds a way to escape she does. Thank goodness. (I hate hearing about authors making the heroine stupid and not escape when there are a gazillion chances.) Caleb is not happy about that either. Livvie saw her chance and was out.

In a lot of reviews I’ve read, some people have felt a little sorry for Caleb. Me, well I’m more of a heartless bitch when it comes to him. He made his choice to help and get revenge against this Vladek guy. For all that has happened to him, imagine what he did to the other girls over the past twelve years just to get to this point. Sorry asshat you won’t get any sympathy from me.

Who I did feel sorry for was Livvie. She had a mother who told her constantly what a disappointment she was. She just wanted to get away from Caleb but at the same time she was battling the feeling to go back to him. She to me had the Stockholm going on. When captive for so long only knowing the dark and the only person to come see you is you captor I can see why people get Stockholm Syndrome. We are human beings. It is in our nature to want human contact.

“This isn’t a romance. You’re not a damsel in distress, and I’m not the handsome prince come to save you.” -Caleb

Every time Livvie would feel something towards Caleb something would happen and she would feel the anger and hurt all over again. She would hate him all over again.

“In real life you had to save yourself”-Livvie

The writing was pretty good. Roberts had my skin crawling a few times. This story had a dark, twisted plot but it worked. It wasn’t she was in love with him after she found out it was her captor. No she tried to hate him. She did there for a little while. I do find this done well. Is it masterful and brilliant? No but it isn’t a total work of trash like some novels I will not say. It was hard to read at times for me. I had one scene I just wanted to skim but decided that I needed to face it. Now will I read the second book of this series? I really don’t know. I haven’t fully processed if I want to continue reading or if I am fine with leaving this where it ended. I’m not fully on board to give this a five star. I don’t believe it was totally captivating (no pun intended).

 

♣Jay♠